In his book, John Carey explores the role of the masses in society and how mass culture has shaped us. Carey uses the book to criticise what many philosophers and ‘intellectuals’ thought of the masses and how they feared them. Ultimately, it was the introduction of universal literacy which caused this fear – the masses could now read and write and had a voice; the intellectuals’ positions in the top strata of society were no longer secure.
Carey uses the thoughts of others to put his ideas across. Below are quotes from the book which I have selected to best demonstrate the ideas of Nietzsche, TS Elliot, Lord Northcliffe, James Joyce and several others:
Newspapers were highly criticised by the intellectuals as the literature of the masses..
- TS Elliot: “newspapers affirm the masses as a complacent prejudiced and unthinking mass”
- Nietzsche: “The rabble vomit their bile and call it a newspaper”
- Northcliffe disagreed with this, asserting that a newspaper should deal with what the masses want (although this was in order to make money from them)
- Nietzsche completely hated the new educated masses – life under them was “suicide”. However he admired Hitler, believing in an undemocratic society where intellect puts you at the top. Spoke of the “master-race”, which many theorists say directly influenced Hitler in later years
- Yeates believed in innate knowledge and said “sooner or later we must limit the families of the unintelligent classes” – the beginnings of ethnic cleansing?
John Carey on Modernism: disliked the intellectuals’ ploy of making literature too difficult for the masses to understand
- Ortega: population increase leads to over-crowding, which is intrusive and leads to the dictatorship of the masses – there is an inevitability of dictatorship
- EM Forster: the effort of the masses to acquire knowledge is ill-advised and unsuccessful, because culture comes with wealth
- Virginia Woolf used her novels to explore the masses, portraying her character Miss Kilman as uncultured and, importantly, religious
- James Joyce, like all intellectuals hated newspapers, and essentially believed that the masses weren’t wealthy enough to be cultured
- Tinned food is hated by the intellectuals and becomes a symbol for the masses. It is suggested that the First World War wouldn’t have happened without tinned food. It is also seen as an offence against the sacredness of individuality
- Ortega says the quality that marks out a mass is a lack of ambition
CASE STUDIES
George Gissing and the Ineducable Masses:
- writing to his friend
- speaks of the vulgarity of the masses
- rise of the aristocracy makes a bigger class gap
- tried to appeal to people on the brink of joining the masses
- believed in the civilising power of poetry, although he didn’t think it would be successful on the masses
HG Wells, Getting rid of people:
- watched the urbanisation of Bromley and hated it
- anti-Catholic
- New-Republic: wanted to kill of undesirable people in a humane manor e.g. diseased people
- Wanted something like ‘Utopia’ – a new world
HG Wells against HG Wells:
- believed the human race is doomed
- however total destruction is both bad and good
Narrowing the Abyss: Arnold Bennett
- the hero of the book
- disliked by the intellectuals
- believed that the intellectuals should write to a wider audience and that what is popular with the masses should not be immediately discounted
- everyone is an artist – completely disagrees with the intellectuals
- the spread of education will heal the rift in English culture
- interestingly said “most people find life dull – it’s the journalists job to make it not”
Wyndham, Lewis and Hitler:
- The intellectuals’ intellectual
- TS Elliot admired him
- Sexist ideas: the intellectuals were warned that women and children would drag them into the masses
Believed that 20th Century cultural decay was the fault of women
- “democracy hates intellectuals because the mind has an aristocratic colour which affects the masses”
-
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
James Joyce – Ulysses
Chapter 15
Ulysses is a clear example of Modernist Literature, which tells the story of Leopold Bloom’s journey through Dublin on one single day. It is a parody of Homer’s ‘Odyssey’.
Below I have outlined the key points of Chapter 15 of Ulysses:
- Written as a play script
- Much of which are drunken hallucinations, creating confusing non-linear sections of writing
- Begins with Stephen and Lynch in Dublin’s red-light district. Bloom has followed them there but gets lost
- Joyce begins to descend into hallucinations from this point, discussing the characters’ fears and desires
- The chapter contains a lot of sexual confusion, as men transform into women
- The time-span is unusual and makes the action difficult to understand (Joyce actually said that this was his intention – the book isn’t supposed to be understood completely)
- Some critics suggests that the hallucinations are not necessarily from individual characters, but are from the novel itself- proving that the book has central themes and ideas which are more important to convey than creating fully-rounded characters. This is completely unconventional, as most novels are written for reader enjoyment..
- The characters frequently fall into Latin, another device to follow Joyce’s non-linear writing
- A stream of consciousness style of writing provides a novel with no real story-line
- Difficult to read because its in such short statements
- Explores morality – accusations constantly crop-up and are explored
- ‘Circe’ is thought to refer to the symbolic women in this chapter i.e. Bella Cohen
- “A times, time and half a time” is a Biblical reference to the Day of Judgement, furthering the moral theme
- The Chapter ends with a moving passage in which Bloom’s dead son Rudy appears in a hallucination
- Does Bloom make up all the components of mankind? Many critics suggest he is symbolic of everyday man, making his hallucinations what we keep inside us all.
Ulysses is a clear example of Modernist Literature, which tells the story of Leopold Bloom’s journey through Dublin on one single day. It is a parody of Homer’s ‘Odyssey’.
Below I have outlined the key points of Chapter 15 of Ulysses:
- Written as a play script
- Much of which are drunken hallucinations, creating confusing non-linear sections of writing
- Begins with Stephen and Lynch in Dublin’s red-light district. Bloom has followed them there but gets lost
- Joyce begins to descend into hallucinations from this point, discussing the characters’ fears and desires
- The chapter contains a lot of sexual confusion, as men transform into women
- The time-span is unusual and makes the action difficult to understand (Joyce actually said that this was his intention – the book isn’t supposed to be understood completely)
- Some critics suggests that the hallucinations are not necessarily from individual characters, but are from the novel itself- proving that the book has central themes and ideas which are more important to convey than creating fully-rounded characters. This is completely unconventional, as most novels are written for reader enjoyment..
- The characters frequently fall into Latin, another device to follow Joyce’s non-linear writing
- A stream of consciousness style of writing provides a novel with no real story-line
- Difficult to read because its in such short statements
- Explores morality – accusations constantly crop-up and are explored
- ‘Circe’ is thought to refer to the symbolic women in this chapter i.e. Bella Cohen
- “A times, time and half a time” is a Biblical reference to the Day of Judgement, furthering the moral theme
- The Chapter ends with a moving passage in which Bloom’s dead son Rudy appears in a hallucination
- Does Bloom make up all the components of mankind? Many critics suggest he is symbolic of everyday man, making his hallucinations what we keep inside us all.
Frederick Nietzsche: Thus Spoke Zarathustra
- Zarathustra is written as a prose poem that was written in ten days and explores Nietzsche’s concept of an Overman (a being beyond a human, without the prejudices of society, he creates his own values and purposes). Ironically written in a biblical style (Nietzsche was opposed to Christianity because it lacked individuality)
- Begins with the protagonist descending from a cave after ten years alone
- Here Nietzsche introduces the idea of the overman – Zarathustra wants to teach people about the overman
- Man is simply a bridge between animal and the overman – it is every persons goal to reach such superiority
- Advocates individuals separating themselves from the herd
- Values struggle and hardship i.e. climbing a mountain
- Free spirit of the overman is represented by laughter and dance
- Highly critical of mass movements – praised individuality
- Anti-Christian, nationalism and democracy because, in his opinion, they produce similar, weak-minded people
- Believed events will repeat themselves again and again
- Reminiscent of gospels in the Bible – highly ironic considering Nietzsche’s views
- Speaks of “the rabble” as the masses, who he disliked intensely
- Spoke of the “will to power” as the force that drives all life
- Nietzsche himself was insane for the last fifteen years of his life, and remained silent for the last ten.
- was famous for his use of aphorisms “God is Dead”, which shape and influence the style of journalism today and can be seen on a daily basis in headlines and advertising slogans
- Begins with the protagonist descending from a cave after ten years alone
- Here Nietzsche introduces the idea of the overman – Zarathustra wants to teach people about the overman
- Man is simply a bridge between animal and the overman – it is every persons goal to reach such superiority
- Advocates individuals separating themselves from the herd
- Values struggle and hardship i.e. climbing a mountain
- Free spirit of the overman is represented by laughter and dance
- Highly critical of mass movements – praised individuality
- Anti-Christian, nationalism and democracy because, in his opinion, they produce similar, weak-minded people
- Believed events will repeat themselves again and again
- Reminiscent of gospels in the Bible – highly ironic considering Nietzsche’s views
- Speaks of “the rabble” as the masses, who he disliked intensely
- Spoke of the “will to power” as the force that drives all life
- Nietzsche himself was insane for the last fifteen years of his life, and remained silent for the last ten.
- was famous for his use of aphorisms “God is Dead”, which shape and influence the style of journalism today and can be seen on a daily basis in headlines and advertising slogans
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Hannah Arendt - The Orgins of Totalitarianism
Below are the key points or themes I thought were most important in “The Origins of Totalitarianism”:
Hannah Arendt has a clear concept of totalitarianism – a regime in which there is no form of plurality and is strongly teleological. The fickle nature of the masses means that a totalitarian government can so easily be forgotten, but its use of terror to control the masses means it is unlikely to be over-turned.
Hannah Arendt:
- Born in 1906 into a German-Jewish family
- Forced to leave Germany in 1933
- The Origins of Totalitarianism, published in 1951, is a study of fascist regimes
- The Human Condition, published in 1958, studied the vita active (labour, work, action)
The Origins of Totalitarianism
- Nazism and Stalinism
- Covers the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe
- Colonist Imperialism led to racism
- Nation state
- The transformation of classes into masses in a political manner
- The roots of modern imperialism can be traced to colonisation
- Propaganda
- The role of terror
Part One: Anti-Semitism
- An outrage to common sense
- Anti-Semitism does not derive simply from Nationalism and Nazism is an example of this
- “neither oppression or exploitation as such is ever the main cause for resentment, wealth without visible function is much more intolerable because nobody can understand why it should be tolerated”
- Jews are always the scapegoat – gives them perfect innocence as the victim
- Modern terror – used to control the masses
- Scapegoat theory – the victim has done nothing to deserve persecution but can’t change their fate
- Anti-Semitism is an eternal problem i.e. a natural hatred that has outbursts and lulls
The Dreyfus Affair:
- 1894 Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of espionage for Germany
- Bernanos: “The Dreyfus Affair already belongs to that tragic era which certainly was not ended by the last war. The affair reveals the same inhuman character, preserving amid the welter of unbridled passions and the flames of hate an inconceivably cold and callous heart.”
- Branding a Jew as a traitor… was it planted or simply a judicial mistake?
- “The mod is primarily a group in which the residue of all classes are represented”
- Clemenceau was convinced that the infringement of the rights of one man was the infringement of the rights of all
Totalitarianism
- the nation-state (as defined by google definitions) is self-identified as deriving its political legitimacy as serving as a sovereign entity.
- Arendt asserts that the nation state is contaminated by imperialism – which is the first stage in the political rule of the bourgeoisie
- “Any Nazi or Bolshevik will do anything to remain a member of the group”… the metaphor of a soldier helping at his own trial and ultimately signing his own death sentence = the power of totalitarianism
- Its aim was to succeed in organising the masses
Hannah Arendt has a clear concept of totalitarianism – a regime in which there is no form of plurality and is strongly teleological. The fickle nature of the masses means that a totalitarian government can so easily be forgotten, but its use of terror to control the masses means it is unlikely to be over-turned.
Hannah Arendt:
- Born in 1906 into a German-Jewish family
- Forced to leave Germany in 1933
- The Origins of Totalitarianism, published in 1951, is a study of fascist regimes
- The Human Condition, published in 1958, studied the vita active (labour, work, action)
The Origins of Totalitarianism
- Nazism and Stalinism
- Covers the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe
- Colonist Imperialism led to racism
- Nation state
- The transformation of classes into masses in a political manner
- The roots of modern imperialism can be traced to colonisation
- Propaganda
- The role of terror
Part One: Anti-Semitism
- An outrage to common sense
- Anti-Semitism does not derive simply from Nationalism and Nazism is an example of this
- “neither oppression or exploitation as such is ever the main cause for resentment, wealth without visible function is much more intolerable because nobody can understand why it should be tolerated”
- Jews are always the scapegoat – gives them perfect innocence as the victim
- Modern terror – used to control the masses
- Scapegoat theory – the victim has done nothing to deserve persecution but can’t change their fate
- Anti-Semitism is an eternal problem i.e. a natural hatred that has outbursts and lulls
The Dreyfus Affair:
- 1894 Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of espionage for Germany
- Bernanos: “The Dreyfus Affair already belongs to that tragic era which certainly was not ended by the last war. The affair reveals the same inhuman character, preserving amid the welter of unbridled passions and the flames of hate an inconceivably cold and callous heart.”
- Branding a Jew as a traitor… was it planted or simply a judicial mistake?
- “The mod is primarily a group in which the residue of all classes are represented”
- Clemenceau was convinced that the infringement of the rights of one man was the infringement of the rights of all
Totalitarianism
- the nation-state (as defined by google definitions) is self-identified as deriving its political legitimacy as serving as a sovereign entity.
- Arendt asserts that the nation state is contaminated by imperialism – which is the first stage in the political rule of the bourgeoisie
- “Any Nazi or Bolshevik will do anything to remain a member of the group”… the metaphor of a soldier helping at his own trial and ultimately signing his own death sentence = the power of totalitarianism
- Its aim was to succeed in organising the masses
Tabloid Nation
Chris Horrie- Tabloid Nation: From the birth of the Daily Mirror to the death of the tabloid
Chris Horrie’s book begins with the quote made by George Orwell in 1941 “Like the music halls, they are sort of saturnalia, a harmless rebellion against virtue. They express only one tendency in the human mind, but a tendency which is always there will find its own outlet, like water. On the whole, human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time.”
Below are my notes on the book...
Foreword by John Tulloch:
- The assertion that the Daily Mirror is the most loved, loathed and untrue tabloid.
- Do tabloids hold significant authority in today’s society? For example, have tabloids changed how we view the Royal family, or even damaged their security? Its an interesting idea that tabloids have the power to change how society is run.
- Are all tabloids the same because they follow the same format? Do they still have a strong journalistic ethic?
- Dick Rooney wrote in 2000 that tabloids have “abandoned the public sphere” and are not “anything other than vehicles for non-serious material”
Part One: Those Horrible Hamsworths
- The book begins with the birth of the Daily Mirror, which transpires as a conversation between Alfred Hamsworth (Lord Northcliffe) and Hamilton Fyfe – the first editor of the new Daily Mirror. Northcliffe’s attitude towards women is clear “women can’t write and don’t want to read”. The new tabloid is re-born with a new image, away from the disastrous beginnings as a newspaper written for and by gentlewomen.
- Fyfe compares firing the all female staff of the old Daily Mirror to like “drowning kittens” but Northcliffe decided a fresh outlook was needed to rescue the newspaper
- Alfred Hamsworth’s early life:
- Born near Dublin 1865 to a barrister and a mother who he adored (even to the extent that he wrote to her almost every day and named the editorial offices Geraldine House)
- Educated at public school in London but left school early to pursue a career in an illustrated magazine for boys.
- Became a reporter on The Illustrated London News
- Aged 21 became part of the editorship of Bicycling News
- Used his instinct and stole paper and used Bicycling News’ printing press to print his own magazine – Answers to Correspondents On every Subject Under the Sun or Answers. This was a complete rip-off of Tit-Bits, the best selling weekly magazine. “Facts” included “What the Queen Eats” and “Why Jews Don’t Ride Bicycles”. The beginnings of this magazine provide valuable insight into what Northcliffe did professionally in later life.
- Un-winnable competitions boosted circulation
- Daily Mail May 1896. Sold 397, 215 copies on the first day of sales
- Kennedy KJ Jones
- Dreyfus Affair
- 1903 Daily Mirror – women based which after eight weeks was selling less than 25,000 copies
The Pope of Fleet Street
- Hannen Swaffer was one of the first journalists to be head-hunted and hired by Fyfe in 1904 when The Mirror was re-launched
- Beginnings of The Illustrated Daily Mirror, which saw circulation treble to over 71,000 overnight after pictures of the Royal family were published
- The Mirror’s fake seriousness and sincerity won over their audience through the medium of campaigns and crusades, and the editorial team believed that pictures were easier to understand than words so filled the newspaper with full pages of images
- Within a month circulation reached 140,000 and after a year reached 290,000
- Alexander Kenealy
- The crusade of the pit ponies’ plight was a massively successful campaign for the Mirror which saw the paper even buy a pony
- Revolutionised photography
- Ideology of making your own news – proving that you can make honey in the middle of London caused a frantic bee hunt leading to increased sales and advertising
- Always self advertising
- Deathbed photos of King Edward VII
- Printed the same picture the next morning, which was an extremely well thought out move. The previous day copies had sold out, the next day they did not make the same mistake again and managed to sell a record breaking circulation of 2,013,000
- The fights between Swaffer and Kenealy and Northcliffe which lead to the downfall of the paper. Disagreements about the coverage of the Titanic – Swaffer wanted all pictures. Northcliffe wanted “real reporting”
- Coverage of the Johnson and Jeffries boxing game, which sparked race riots
- The Chiefs death in 1922
Ghouls, Criminals… Animals Beneath Contempt
- The Times – Northcliffe’s new newspaper, his brainchild
- Northcliffe became increasingly less interested in the Mirror and sold his shares in 1914
- Lord Rothermere took over but used the paper primarily for shares purposes, eg hyping particular shares
- “The forces paper” – during the First World War
- Came out of the First World War with highest sale of any daily paper
Herald of Doom – The Free Gift War
- Daily Herald proved to be competition in 1922 after it was taken over by the TUC, had the philosophy of ‘buying’ readers with free gifts and competitions
- Spent £3 million a year on promotions
- The Mirror was used to finance other papers, buy shares and finance other projects… it was doomed
A Helping Hand
- Ties with Hitler
Bart – El Vinos Veritas
Bartholomew and king lay the foundations of tabloid Britain
Chris Horrie’s book begins with the quote made by George Orwell in 1941 “Like the music halls, they are sort of saturnalia, a harmless rebellion against virtue. They express only one tendency in the human mind, but a tendency which is always there will find its own outlet, like water. On the whole, human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time.”
Below are my notes on the book...
Foreword by John Tulloch:
- The assertion that the Daily Mirror is the most loved, loathed and untrue tabloid.
- Do tabloids hold significant authority in today’s society? For example, have tabloids changed how we view the Royal family, or even damaged their security? Its an interesting idea that tabloids have the power to change how society is run.
- Are all tabloids the same because they follow the same format? Do they still have a strong journalistic ethic?
- Dick Rooney wrote in 2000 that tabloids have “abandoned the public sphere” and are not “anything other than vehicles for non-serious material”
Part One: Those Horrible Hamsworths
- The book begins with the birth of the Daily Mirror, which transpires as a conversation between Alfred Hamsworth (Lord Northcliffe) and Hamilton Fyfe – the first editor of the new Daily Mirror. Northcliffe’s attitude towards women is clear “women can’t write and don’t want to read”. The new tabloid is re-born with a new image, away from the disastrous beginnings as a newspaper written for and by gentlewomen.
- Fyfe compares firing the all female staff of the old Daily Mirror to like “drowning kittens” but Northcliffe decided a fresh outlook was needed to rescue the newspaper
- Alfred Hamsworth’s early life:
- Born near Dublin 1865 to a barrister and a mother who he adored (even to the extent that he wrote to her almost every day and named the editorial offices Geraldine House)
- Educated at public school in London but left school early to pursue a career in an illustrated magazine for boys.
- Became a reporter on The Illustrated London News
- Aged 21 became part of the editorship of Bicycling News
- Used his instinct and stole paper and used Bicycling News’ printing press to print his own magazine – Answers to Correspondents On every Subject Under the Sun or Answers. This was a complete rip-off of Tit-Bits, the best selling weekly magazine. “Facts” included “What the Queen Eats” and “Why Jews Don’t Ride Bicycles”. The beginnings of this magazine provide valuable insight into what Northcliffe did professionally in later life.
- Un-winnable competitions boosted circulation
- Daily Mail May 1896. Sold 397, 215 copies on the first day of sales
- Kennedy KJ Jones
- Dreyfus Affair
- 1903 Daily Mirror – women based which after eight weeks was selling less than 25,000 copies
The Pope of Fleet Street
- Hannen Swaffer was one of the first journalists to be head-hunted and hired by Fyfe in 1904 when The Mirror was re-launched
- Beginnings of The Illustrated Daily Mirror, which saw circulation treble to over 71,000 overnight after pictures of the Royal family were published
- The Mirror’s fake seriousness and sincerity won over their audience through the medium of campaigns and crusades, and the editorial team believed that pictures were easier to understand than words so filled the newspaper with full pages of images
- Within a month circulation reached 140,000 and after a year reached 290,000
- Alexander Kenealy
- The crusade of the pit ponies’ plight was a massively successful campaign for the Mirror which saw the paper even buy a pony
- Revolutionised photography
- Ideology of making your own news – proving that you can make honey in the middle of London caused a frantic bee hunt leading to increased sales and advertising
- Always self advertising
- Deathbed photos of King Edward VII
- Printed the same picture the next morning, which was an extremely well thought out move. The previous day copies had sold out, the next day they did not make the same mistake again and managed to sell a record breaking circulation of 2,013,000
- The fights between Swaffer and Kenealy and Northcliffe which lead to the downfall of the paper. Disagreements about the coverage of the Titanic – Swaffer wanted all pictures. Northcliffe wanted “real reporting”
- Coverage of the Johnson and Jeffries boxing game, which sparked race riots
- The Chiefs death in 1922
Ghouls, Criminals… Animals Beneath Contempt
- The Times – Northcliffe’s new newspaper, his brainchild
- Northcliffe became increasingly less interested in the Mirror and sold his shares in 1914
- Lord Rothermere took over but used the paper primarily for shares purposes, eg hyping particular shares
- “The forces paper” – during the First World War
- Came out of the First World War with highest sale of any daily paper
Herald of Doom – The Free Gift War
- Daily Herald proved to be competition in 1922 after it was taken over by the TUC, had the philosophy of ‘buying’ readers with free gifts and competitions
- Spent £3 million a year on promotions
- The Mirror was used to finance other papers, buy shares and finance other projects… it was doomed
A Helping Hand
- Ties with Hitler
Bart – El Vinos Veritas
Bartholomew and king lay the foundations of tabloid Britain
Monday, November 22, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Green Party Calling - My day with Shasha Khan
It’s the 20th April 2010 and an eight minute telephone conversation has just confirmed my plans for the following day. Tomorrow is the day that I shadow the Green Party candidate for Croydon North – Shasha Khan. As I click down the receiver (feeling immensely relieved – Shasha seems like a friendly, approachable sort of man) I quickly note the time and address of our meeting: 1:30 p.m. at his Croydon home.
I arrive at Shasha’s house, a small mid-terrace, at twenty past one and am greeted at the door by Gordon, a Green Party supporter. Walking through the hallway I can see piles of luminous green posters, fresh off the printing machine, emblazoned with “Vote Green Party”. When I arrive in the kitchen Shasha Khan is conversing with another supporter, who I’m later told was Jim, but breaks off mid-sentence with a wide grin to shake my hand. “Welcome to Green Party HQ Aimee.”
I settle down at the kitchen table with my notebook and a few Green Party leaflets whilst the three men discuss the plans for the day. One postcard sized leaflet displays their national and local pledges, which range from “No incinerator for Croydon”, to “Bring the troops home” and “Cut bankers’ bonuses not public spending”. The reverse of the leaflet boasts a quote from Barry Buttigieg, a former Labour Party candidate: “I joined the Green Party because I really like their common sense 21st century policies… I am much happier being a Green.” The three men conclude that they do indeed have enough posters and leaflets for a full day of canvassing (an issue which seemed to be of great importance) and Jim leaves for the day, followed closely by Gordon, fully-laden with Green Party paraphernalia.
I’m handed several more leaflets, “Vote Green Party – Change London for Good”, “Bensham Manor Matters”, which I read as Shasha makes us tea. For a political candidate I’m struck by how humble he is and ask how he feels about his chances in the upcoming election. His reply is unsurprising: “Well, the thing is, we’re punching above our weight here. We only have three candidates in Croydon. But, you know, we’re out there campaigning and giving it a go”. Before leaving to get changed, the candidate shows me www.voteforpolicies.org.uk, a website designed to help the public decide who to vote for. Shasha delightedly tells me that the Greens are topping the poll with 27% and encourages me to take it while he is gone. Thirty minutes later he emerges in a blue shirt and jeans, asking “Do you think jeans and a shirt will be okay?” Bemused, I reply “Yes… yes I think so.”
“College students won’t think I’m trying to impress them?”
“No, no Shasha you look fine…”
Looking unconvinced he gathers together his propaganda and pins his green rosette to his jacket. “Ready?”
We take his car on a ten minute drive to his canvassing area. On the journey I initiate the conversation, asking about the foundation of the party and Shasha’s own experience of it. I learn that it was founded in Coventry in the 1970s, but was named “something like the Equality Party”, and that Shasha has been a member since November 2006. We talk of university – he adored studying Politics and Economics at Wolverhampton University. A phone call from Gordon sends us on a detour; it appears he forgot a bag of pamphlets, which luckily were left in Shasha’s car. Our canvassing then begins as we pull up outside number 87. “Do you ever get nervous before going door-to-door?” I ask. Shasha explains that he was previously employed as a door-to-door salesman, “I got rid of the nerves long ago” he remarks.
Looking less confident than I would think was necessary to successfully canvass, Shasha walks up to the door. A teenage boy answers, calls for his mother, and I watch as the candidate’s demeanour changes completely. He begins by introducing me as “Aimee- a university student who is shadowing me for the day to find out about politics in Croydon” and goes on to give a fluent, confident speech. I almost forget to take notes as I stare in, for want of a better word, amazement. The woman, who seems open to discussion, is aware of the Green Party and their policies. They talk at length about the campaign to stop the building of an incinerator in Factory Lane – an industrial area of Croydon surrounded by houses and schools – which I soon realise, is the biggest local issue for the Greens. After ten minutes we leave the woman with six different leaflets and a poster to put in her window. I’m intrigued: “Is it always this successful?” Shasha chuckles, “No… no not always. I’m considering paying you to come out with me. You’re obviously good luck!” he jokes.
After knocking on two doors to no reply, Shasha finds luck with another female resident. The patter isn’t so well received this time and I get the impression that Shasha is working hard for this vote, but once again we leave a woman with a fluorescent green poster in hand. As we discuss how difficult the last door seemed to be, a man interrupts asking if we’re from the Green Party. Shasha seizes the opportunity and we stand for ten minutes going through the same, well rehearsed speech. The man, who we later learn is Sri Lankan, is sceptical, asserting that “People only bring up these issues at election time” when confronted with the ‘Stop the Incinerator’ campaign (to which Shasha acknowledges, but politely disputes: “Well yes, but actually I’ve been campaigning on this issue for three-and-a-half years”) Once again we walk away from a resident, who is left clutching a multitude of paper. “The poor man was only walking his son home from school” I joke.
Looking at the time I ask Shasha whether it would be best to leave for Harris Academy, a secondary school in Crystal Palace which forms the next stop for the day. It’s nearly 4:30 p.m. when we arrive at the school and are greeted by a teacher, who leads us down corridors and into his classroom. Shasha was invited to the school to aid the pupils in their mock election campaign and is thrust into helping the student Green Party after a mere introduction. Speaking confidently he takes the seven pupils through the ins-and-outs of a campaign, constantly referring back to his party’s own policies. After just over an hour I once again remind the candidate that he has other engagements to meet and we depart, although not before a photograph is taken – Shasha is clearly never one to miss some free publicity.
Once in the car again I remark how well received he was, noting that stereotypically young people aren’t interested in politics. Shasha aggress whole-heartedly, stating that “was really successful. Couldn’t have gone better to be honest”. When asked if today had been a typical day Shasha replies with a smile on his face: “Yes. This is what I’ve been doing, day-in day-out for a while now”.
A brief visit to Thornton Heath train station to meet Ross, a new recruit to the ‘Green Team’, and my day is coming to a close. As I considered the day as a whole, I was struck by the oxymoron that Shasha Khan is. A quiet man who was constantly dropping his reams of leaflets, had poor-time keeping (I was told by Jim and Gordon to expect to be late to everything – it would seem they were not joking) who had absolute affinity with the public – he won over every person he spoke to with his confident manner and likeable personality. My parting with him was typical of the day – jumping out of the car, whilst at traffic lights, because he was late to yet another meeting and so was unable to drop me home. I walked along chuckling to myself, as I recalled anecdotes from the day and was shocked to find that I had enjoyed myself. I was left with this final thought: Shasha Khan – a man who it is impossible to dislike – and a worthy candidate in the election.
I arrive at Shasha’s house, a small mid-terrace, at twenty past one and am greeted at the door by Gordon, a Green Party supporter. Walking through the hallway I can see piles of luminous green posters, fresh off the printing machine, emblazoned with “Vote Green Party”. When I arrive in the kitchen Shasha Khan is conversing with another supporter, who I’m later told was Jim, but breaks off mid-sentence with a wide grin to shake my hand. “Welcome to Green Party HQ Aimee.”
I settle down at the kitchen table with my notebook and a few Green Party leaflets whilst the three men discuss the plans for the day. One postcard sized leaflet displays their national and local pledges, which range from “No incinerator for Croydon”, to “Bring the troops home” and “Cut bankers’ bonuses not public spending”. The reverse of the leaflet boasts a quote from Barry Buttigieg, a former Labour Party candidate: “I joined the Green Party because I really like their common sense 21st century policies… I am much happier being a Green.” The three men conclude that they do indeed have enough posters and leaflets for a full day of canvassing (an issue which seemed to be of great importance) and Jim leaves for the day, followed closely by Gordon, fully-laden with Green Party paraphernalia.
I’m handed several more leaflets, “Vote Green Party – Change London for Good”, “Bensham Manor Matters”, which I read as Shasha makes us tea. For a political candidate I’m struck by how humble he is and ask how he feels about his chances in the upcoming election. His reply is unsurprising: “Well, the thing is, we’re punching above our weight here. We only have three candidates in Croydon. But, you know, we’re out there campaigning and giving it a go”. Before leaving to get changed, the candidate shows me www.voteforpolicies.org.uk, a website designed to help the public decide who to vote for. Shasha delightedly tells me that the Greens are topping the poll with 27% and encourages me to take it while he is gone. Thirty minutes later he emerges in a blue shirt and jeans, asking “Do you think jeans and a shirt will be okay?” Bemused, I reply “Yes… yes I think so.”
“College students won’t think I’m trying to impress them?”
“No, no Shasha you look fine…”
Looking unconvinced he gathers together his propaganda and pins his green rosette to his jacket. “Ready?”
We take his car on a ten minute drive to his canvassing area. On the journey I initiate the conversation, asking about the foundation of the party and Shasha’s own experience of it. I learn that it was founded in Coventry in the 1970s, but was named “something like the Equality Party”, and that Shasha has been a member since November 2006. We talk of university – he adored studying Politics and Economics at Wolverhampton University. A phone call from Gordon sends us on a detour; it appears he forgot a bag of pamphlets, which luckily were left in Shasha’s car. Our canvassing then begins as we pull up outside number 87. “Do you ever get nervous before going door-to-door?” I ask. Shasha explains that he was previously employed as a door-to-door salesman, “I got rid of the nerves long ago” he remarks.
Looking less confident than I would think was necessary to successfully canvass, Shasha walks up to the door. A teenage boy answers, calls for his mother, and I watch as the candidate’s demeanour changes completely. He begins by introducing me as “Aimee- a university student who is shadowing me for the day to find out about politics in Croydon” and goes on to give a fluent, confident speech. I almost forget to take notes as I stare in, for want of a better word, amazement. The woman, who seems open to discussion, is aware of the Green Party and their policies. They talk at length about the campaign to stop the building of an incinerator in Factory Lane – an industrial area of Croydon surrounded by houses and schools – which I soon realise, is the biggest local issue for the Greens. After ten minutes we leave the woman with six different leaflets and a poster to put in her window. I’m intrigued: “Is it always this successful?” Shasha chuckles, “No… no not always. I’m considering paying you to come out with me. You’re obviously good luck!” he jokes.
After knocking on two doors to no reply, Shasha finds luck with another female resident. The patter isn’t so well received this time and I get the impression that Shasha is working hard for this vote, but once again we leave a woman with a fluorescent green poster in hand. As we discuss how difficult the last door seemed to be, a man interrupts asking if we’re from the Green Party. Shasha seizes the opportunity and we stand for ten minutes going through the same, well rehearsed speech. The man, who we later learn is Sri Lankan, is sceptical, asserting that “People only bring up these issues at election time” when confronted with the ‘Stop the Incinerator’ campaign (to which Shasha acknowledges, but politely disputes: “Well yes, but actually I’ve been campaigning on this issue for three-and-a-half years”) Once again we walk away from a resident, who is left clutching a multitude of paper. “The poor man was only walking his son home from school” I joke.
Looking at the time I ask Shasha whether it would be best to leave for Harris Academy, a secondary school in Crystal Palace which forms the next stop for the day. It’s nearly 4:30 p.m. when we arrive at the school and are greeted by a teacher, who leads us down corridors and into his classroom. Shasha was invited to the school to aid the pupils in their mock election campaign and is thrust into helping the student Green Party after a mere introduction. Speaking confidently he takes the seven pupils through the ins-and-outs of a campaign, constantly referring back to his party’s own policies. After just over an hour I once again remind the candidate that he has other engagements to meet and we depart, although not before a photograph is taken – Shasha is clearly never one to miss some free publicity.
Once in the car again I remark how well received he was, noting that stereotypically young people aren’t interested in politics. Shasha aggress whole-heartedly, stating that “was really successful. Couldn’t have gone better to be honest”. When asked if today had been a typical day Shasha replies with a smile on his face: “Yes. This is what I’ve been doing, day-in day-out for a while now”.
A brief visit to Thornton Heath train station to meet Ross, a new recruit to the ‘Green Team’, and my day is coming to a close. As I considered the day as a whole, I was struck by the oxymoron that Shasha Khan is. A quiet man who was constantly dropping his reams of leaflets, had poor-time keeping (I was told by Jim and Gordon to expect to be late to everything – it would seem they were not joking) who had absolute affinity with the public – he won over every person he spoke to with his confident manner and likeable personality. My parting with him was typical of the day – jumping out of the car, whilst at traffic lights, because he was late to yet another meeting and so was unable to drop me home. I walked along chuckling to myself, as I recalled anecdotes from the day and was shocked to find that I had enjoyed myself. I was left with this final thought: Shasha Khan – a man who it is impossible to dislike – and a worthy candidate in the election.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Lib Dems vote Vince Cable for next Chancellor
The Liberal Democrats have backed Vince Cable to be the next Chancellor, should there be a hung parliament.
The possibility of a hung parliament is ever increasing as the distance between the main political parties in opinion polls is lessening.
The Liberal Democrats currently lie third in opinion polls before the upcoming elections in May.
A Lib Dem representative said:
Audio Name: Election Audio
In words: “Vince Cable”
Out Words: “next Chancellor”
Duration: 0’19’
The competition for Chancellor will be hotly contested should there be a hung parliament, with Alistair Darling, George Osborne and Vince Cable all vying for the role.
The possibility of a hung parliament is ever increasing as the distance between the main political parties in opinion polls is lessening.
The Liberal Democrats currently lie third in opinion polls before the upcoming elections in May.
A Lib Dem representative said:
Audio Name: Election Audio
In words: “Vince Cable”
Out Words: “next Chancellor”
Duration: 0’19’
The competition for Chancellor will be hotly contested should there be a hung parliament, with Alistair Darling, George Osborne and Vince Cable all vying for the role.
Student Housing in Winchester
Students in Winchester may soon have to find student accommodation further away from the university campus.
If Winchester City Council chooses to accept a new government scheme, which will give them the power to limit the amount of university managed properties; students could soon struggle to find affordable housing within walking distance of campus.
A local estate agent disagrees with the housing difficulties that are facing students:
Audio Name: Student Housing
In words: “Unfortunately the”
Out Words: “past years”
Duration: 0’19’
If the scheme is put in place, the Council could stop estate agents from renting family homes to students, reducing the housing options for thousands of students.
If Winchester City Council chooses to accept a new government scheme, which will give them the power to limit the amount of university managed properties; students could soon struggle to find affordable housing within walking distance of campus.
A local estate agent disagrees with the housing difficulties that are facing students:
Audio Name: Student Housing
In words: “Unfortunately the”
Out Words: “past years”
Duration: 0’19’
If the scheme is put in place, the Council could stop estate agents from renting family homes to students, reducing the housing options for thousands of students.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Radio Bulletin - Thursday 18th March
This is Aimee Pickering and here is the news.
A service station employee has been the victim of an armed robbery in Andover.
The robbers targeted the service station in Weyhill Road, at around 11 pm on Sunday. The three male robbers used a gun and a metal bar to threaten the employee and steal around one hundred pounds, before driving off in a blue Renault Clio.
The employee was not hurt and police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the robbery, or saw the get-away car, to come forward.
…
The investigation into a sexual assault on a 22-year-old woman in Eastleigh has developed, as police have released an efit of the attacker.
The man is described as white, aged less than twenty-five, five foot eight inches tall, with an average build and a local accent.
The attack took place in Fleming Park, in the area between Derby Road and Nightingale Avenue, between 9:30 and 10 pm on the 8th March.
…
Hampshire County Council will announce its budget for 2010 to 2011 later this month. The annual budget will be around six hundred and seventy two million pounds and is expected to see a rise in council tax of twenty pounds per year for the average family.
Local residents voiced their opinions on council spending as it stands and what they hope the new budget will improve:
Audio insert name: Council Spending
In words: “Well obviously”
Out words: “for the elderly”
Duration: 0’14’
“Well obviously it’s an enormous budget for an enormous county, so one would hope that they would be able to find some value for culture”
“Well I think they’re spending too much on the Civil Service and not enough on the public, the NHS and help for the elderly”
The council has said that there are no plans to cut service spending: which includes social care, education, road maintenance and rubbish disposal.
…
And finally…
An event is being held in Winchester to help the homeless.
The Rotary Club of Winchester is holding the event, called ‘Winchester walk for the homeless – beating the bounds’ on Sunday 9th May with hopes of raising fifty thousand pounds for the city’s homeless charities.
The Rotary Club are hoping to encourage schools, families, individuals and even businesses to join the three walks around the city’s historical sites.
The walks are set at twelve miles, five miles or a more family friendly one-and-a-half miles.
A service station employee has been the victim of an armed robbery in Andover.
The robbers targeted the service station in Weyhill Road, at around 11 pm on Sunday. The three male robbers used a gun and a metal bar to threaten the employee and steal around one hundred pounds, before driving off in a blue Renault Clio.
The employee was not hurt and police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the robbery, or saw the get-away car, to come forward.
…
The investigation into a sexual assault on a 22-year-old woman in Eastleigh has developed, as police have released an efit of the attacker.
The man is described as white, aged less than twenty-five, five foot eight inches tall, with an average build and a local accent.
The attack took place in Fleming Park, in the area between Derby Road and Nightingale Avenue, between 9:30 and 10 pm on the 8th March.
…
Hampshire County Council will announce its budget for 2010 to 2011 later this month. The annual budget will be around six hundred and seventy two million pounds and is expected to see a rise in council tax of twenty pounds per year for the average family.
Local residents voiced their opinions on council spending as it stands and what they hope the new budget will improve:
Audio insert name: Council Spending
In words: “Well obviously”
Out words: “for the elderly”
Duration: 0’14’
“Well obviously it’s an enormous budget for an enormous county, so one would hope that they would be able to find some value for culture”
“Well I think they’re spending too much on the Civil Service and not enough on the public, the NHS and help for the elderly”
The council has said that there are no plans to cut service spending: which includes social care, education, road maintenance and rubbish disposal.
…
And finally…
An event is being held in Winchester to help the homeless.
The Rotary Club of Winchester is holding the event, called ‘Winchester walk for the homeless – beating the bounds’ on Sunday 9th May with hopes of raising fifty thousand pounds for the city’s homeless charities.
The Rotary Club are hoping to encourage schools, families, individuals and even businesses to join the three walks around the city’s historical sites.
The walks are set at twelve miles, five miles or a more family friendly one-and-a-half miles.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Hampshire County Council Budget
Hampshire County Council will announce its budget for 2010 to 2011 later this month.
The annual budget will be around £672 million and is expected to see a rise in council tax of £20 per year for the average family.
Local residents voiced their opinions on council spending as it stands and what they hope the new budget will improve:
“Well obviously it’s an enormous budget for an enormous county, so one would hope that they would be able to find some value for culture”
“Well I think they’re spending too much on the Civil Service and not enough on the public, the NHS and help for the elderly”
The council has said that there are no plans to cut service spending: which includes social care, education, road maintenance and rubbish disposal.
The annual budget will be around £672 million and is expected to see a rise in council tax of £20 per year for the average family.
Local residents voiced their opinions on council spending as it stands and what they hope the new budget will improve:
“Well obviously it’s an enormous budget for an enormous county, so one would hope that they would be able to find some value for culture”
“Well I think they’re spending too much on the Civil Service and not enough on the public, the NHS and help for the elderly”
The council has said that there are no plans to cut service spending: which includes social care, education, road maintenance and rubbish disposal.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Winchester Cathedral Named as Top Hampshire Attraction
Winchester Cathedral has been named the top cultural attraction in Hampshire.
A survey by Hampshire County Council saw the historic building voted number one by people living in the county - ahead of other attractions including Portsmouth’s Dockyard and Marwell Wildlife.
Sarah Harfield, who works for Winchester City Tourist Information, spoke of the impact it will have on the city:
“I think it’s great – I think it’s great for Winchester, that’s what a lot of people come and visit so I think it’s really good news. With a bit of luck it will increase visitors to the city. People come for all the different attractions in the city as it is, but obviously with it being named as one of the top attractions then it will hopefully bring more people in.”
A survey by Hampshire County Council saw the historic building voted number one by people living in the county - ahead of other attractions including Portsmouth’s Dockyard and Marwell Wildlife.
Sarah Harfield, who works for Winchester City Tourist Information, spoke of the impact it will have on the city:
“I think it’s great – I think it’s great for Winchester, that’s what a lot of people come and visit so I think it’s really good news. With a bit of luck it will increase visitors to the city. People come for all the different attractions in the city as it is, but obviously with it being named as one of the top attractions then it will hopefully bring more people in.”
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Seminar Paper - Mary Wollstonecraft and John Stuart Mill
A Vindication on the Rights of Women
CHAPTER IV: OBSERVATIONS ON THE STATE OF DEGRADATION TO WHICH WOMAN IS REDUCED BY VARIOUS CAUSES
Mary Wollstonecraft (1759 – 1797)
• Difficult early life – raised by a drunken, violent father and an obedient mother
• Forced to work as a governess, but became obsessed with education
• Wrote Thoughts on Education of Daughters in 1787, in which she stated that women were poorly equipped by education and needed to be taught ‘properly’ as we are born with no innate ideas (agrees with Locke)
• Therefore an empiricist
• Unitarian i.e. did not believe in the ‘Trinity’
• Criticised Rousseau for his opinions of women as made for man, but agreed with his anti-elitism and his attack on ‘modern manners’
• Wrote Vindication on the Rights of Man which claimed that ideas of aristocracy and hereditary power were mistaken
• Had several affairs
• Suicide attempts
• To put it in context, she lived in a time of turmoil and change, as demonstrated by the French Revolution (which fascinated her)
• Well read and educated – comes across through her referencing of other writers
Vindication on the Rights of Woman (1792)
• Discusses the state of female manners for middle class women (for which she is criticised as being limited)
• Her vision for women involved equality with men in the area of education and a less structured way of living in terms of fashion and etiquette for middle class women
• States that it does not matter if you are man or woman in life as there is no difference
• Begins quite balanced: Accepts that man are naturally the stronger sex, but suggests that man’s weakness is that he doesn’t use this ‘birth right’ as she calls it, but simply follows his desire to live in the present moment – assuming that tomorrow could be his last day
• Believes the soul is immortal, because, as a human, we will never be perfect but must strive to always try and perfect ourselves
• States that if women possess reason (which she clearly believes they do) we should be allowed to think for ourselves and not to take things ‘on trust’
• Suggests that the class system of manners ‘robs the female sex of its dignity’
• Speaks in a complicated manner, confusing issues of feminism with other things: Suggests that it is narrow-mindedness that cause the problems of women and states that the same problems face the rich because they will never know the ‘virtues of labour’
• Pleasure should no longer be the main aim for a woman’s life – talks of women being weak beings again
• Speaks quite poetically: Uses the metaphor of a bird – stating that women are confined to a cage with nothing to do but ‘plume’ themselves
• Dislikes male manners that are considered charming e.g. holding a door open, because they are patronising and unnecessary
• Does not understand why no women come from obscurity into the limelight – there is no reason why they can’t
• Disagrees that the highest ambition a woman should have is to marry well
• Suggests that women took on all the useless qualities from society – like an obsession with feelings – whereas men took the best and respect order and duty
• She remains quite balanced throughout – saying there are exceptions and that it does not just apply to women
• Dislikes that women turn to men for safety, when they can quite easily solve a solution themselves
• Wollstonecraft uses Rousseau to demonstrate her point: that women should have control over themselves and decide their own lives
“Educate women like men," says Rousseau, "and the more they resemble our sex the less power will they have over us." This is the very point I aim at. I do not wish them to have power over men; but over themselves
• Consistently talks of her dislike for sensibility – suggests that it ruins a woman, causing her to forget reason
• Has some unusual ideas: Asks whether negligence or indulgence is most detrimental – and decides that the latter has done the most harm
• Wants female beauty to be considered the same as male, and take into account a woman’s mind and sense of reason as well as her appearance
• Wollstonecraft goes on to talk of affairs and how a man should be responsible for any illegitimate children, followed by her ideas on love and friendship, which comes across as odd when considering the rest of the chapter, which centres around how women should be considered
• Contradicts with her own life – believed that women were not made solely for mans pleasure and yet lived her life by the men in it. For a feminist she was shaped by men perhaps more than she realised, even from her upbringing with a drunken father – perhaps this is a factor shared by feminists?
• The contradiction would not be so strange if she had not been so sure of her opinions in her writing.
John Stuart Mill
• Believed in Liberty
• On Liberty – stated that liberty protected people from tyrannical ruling
• Stated that power lies with the individual over the state
• The nature of the power that society has over the individual
• The introduction of rights
• Rulers became the voice of the nation’s will – representative
• Main principle of the essay: man can do what he wishes, even though others may try to persuade him against it, as long as it harms no-one. As soon as it does, penalties can be employed. “the individual is sovereign”
• Utilitarianism – happiness over pain
• Introduced the first bill to give women the right to vote – championed women’s rights
• Was extremely intelligent by the age of 16, which only led to a nervous breakdown by the time he was 20
• Believed strongly in freedom of speech
• Against uniformity – do and think what you want as long as it does not harm anyone
• Dismisses the Social Contract
• ‘The greatest good for the greatest number’ on the surface sounds like a perfect idea, but people are different and conflict will always arise making this impossible to achieve
• Made a hierarchy of pleasures
• Constantly considered the consequences: Acts, Moral Rules, Disposition
What is Liberty?
• Authority is located with the individual
• Laissez faire view of life
• Freedom over equality
• Religion and morality are private matters
• Pluralism – beliefs and actions are your own concern
CHAPTER IV: OBSERVATIONS ON THE STATE OF DEGRADATION TO WHICH WOMAN IS REDUCED BY VARIOUS CAUSES
Mary Wollstonecraft (1759 – 1797)
• Difficult early life – raised by a drunken, violent father and an obedient mother
• Forced to work as a governess, but became obsessed with education
• Wrote Thoughts on Education of Daughters in 1787, in which she stated that women were poorly equipped by education and needed to be taught ‘properly’ as we are born with no innate ideas (agrees with Locke)
• Therefore an empiricist
• Unitarian i.e. did not believe in the ‘Trinity’
• Criticised Rousseau for his opinions of women as made for man, but agreed with his anti-elitism and his attack on ‘modern manners’
• Wrote Vindication on the Rights of Man which claimed that ideas of aristocracy and hereditary power were mistaken
• Had several affairs
• Suicide attempts
• To put it in context, she lived in a time of turmoil and change, as demonstrated by the French Revolution (which fascinated her)
• Well read and educated – comes across through her referencing of other writers
Vindication on the Rights of Woman (1792)
• Discusses the state of female manners for middle class women (for which she is criticised as being limited)
• Her vision for women involved equality with men in the area of education and a less structured way of living in terms of fashion and etiquette for middle class women
• States that it does not matter if you are man or woman in life as there is no difference
• Begins quite balanced: Accepts that man are naturally the stronger sex, but suggests that man’s weakness is that he doesn’t use this ‘birth right’ as she calls it, but simply follows his desire to live in the present moment – assuming that tomorrow could be his last day
• Believes the soul is immortal, because, as a human, we will never be perfect but must strive to always try and perfect ourselves
• States that if women possess reason (which she clearly believes they do) we should be allowed to think for ourselves and not to take things ‘on trust’
• Suggests that the class system of manners ‘robs the female sex of its dignity’
• Speaks in a complicated manner, confusing issues of feminism with other things: Suggests that it is narrow-mindedness that cause the problems of women and states that the same problems face the rich because they will never know the ‘virtues of labour’
• Pleasure should no longer be the main aim for a woman’s life – talks of women being weak beings again
• Speaks quite poetically: Uses the metaphor of a bird – stating that women are confined to a cage with nothing to do but ‘plume’ themselves
• Dislikes male manners that are considered charming e.g. holding a door open, because they are patronising and unnecessary
• Does not understand why no women come from obscurity into the limelight – there is no reason why they can’t
• Disagrees that the highest ambition a woman should have is to marry well
• Suggests that women took on all the useless qualities from society – like an obsession with feelings – whereas men took the best and respect order and duty
• She remains quite balanced throughout – saying there are exceptions and that it does not just apply to women
• Dislikes that women turn to men for safety, when they can quite easily solve a solution themselves
• Wollstonecraft uses Rousseau to demonstrate her point: that women should have control over themselves and decide their own lives
“Educate women like men," says Rousseau, "and the more they resemble our sex the less power will they have over us." This is the very point I aim at. I do not wish them to have power over men; but over themselves
• Consistently talks of her dislike for sensibility – suggests that it ruins a woman, causing her to forget reason
• Has some unusual ideas: Asks whether negligence or indulgence is most detrimental – and decides that the latter has done the most harm
• Wants female beauty to be considered the same as male, and take into account a woman’s mind and sense of reason as well as her appearance
• Wollstonecraft goes on to talk of affairs and how a man should be responsible for any illegitimate children, followed by her ideas on love and friendship, which comes across as odd when considering the rest of the chapter, which centres around how women should be considered
• Contradicts with her own life – believed that women were not made solely for mans pleasure and yet lived her life by the men in it. For a feminist she was shaped by men perhaps more than she realised, even from her upbringing with a drunken father – perhaps this is a factor shared by feminists?
• The contradiction would not be so strange if she had not been so sure of her opinions in her writing.
John Stuart Mill
• Believed in Liberty
• On Liberty – stated that liberty protected people from tyrannical ruling
• Stated that power lies with the individual over the state
• The nature of the power that society has over the individual
• The introduction of rights
• Rulers became the voice of the nation’s will – representative
• Main principle of the essay: man can do what he wishes, even though others may try to persuade him against it, as long as it harms no-one. As soon as it does, penalties can be employed. “the individual is sovereign”
• Utilitarianism – happiness over pain
• Introduced the first bill to give women the right to vote – championed women’s rights
• Was extremely intelligent by the age of 16, which only led to a nervous breakdown by the time he was 20
• Believed strongly in freedom of speech
• Against uniformity – do and think what you want as long as it does not harm anyone
• Dismisses the Social Contract
• ‘The greatest good for the greatest number’ on the surface sounds like a perfect idea, but people are different and conflict will always arise making this impossible to achieve
• Made a hierarchy of pleasures
• Constantly considered the consequences: Acts, Moral Rules, Disposition
What is Liberty?
• Authority is located with the individual
• Laissez faire view of life
• Freedom over equality
• Religion and morality are private matters
• Pluralism – beliefs and actions are your own concern
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